Harichavank Monastery

Harichavank is a significant 7th-century Armenian monastery located near the village of Harich in the Shirak Province of Armenia. Archaeological evidence suggests the site's occupation dates back to the 2nd century BC, when it was a notable fortress town. The monastery rose to prominence as one of Armenia's most renowned monastic and cultural centers, particularly celebrated for its school and scriptorium.

History and Architecture

The oldest surviving structure within the complex is the Church of St. Gregory the Enlightener, a domed edifice often categorized as "Mastara-style." The monastery's founding date is unrecorded, but its construction is placed no later than the 7th century. The complex was occupied by the Kipchak Turks between 1120 and 1191, before being restored by the Zakarides.

The dominant structure is the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, completed in 1201. Commissioned by Prince Zakare Zakarian, it is a cruciform church characterized by two-story sacristies and a distinctive tall, 20-hedral drum on its cupola. This cathedral belongs to the "Gandzasar-style" of ecclesiastical architecture, marked by an umbrella-shaped dome, a cruciform floor plan, a narthex, and high-relief carvings. A notable relief on the eastern facade depicts the Zakarian brothers holding a model of the cathedral, a motif found in other Armenian churches.

Cultural Significance and Later Developments

Harichavank's privileges granted by the princes fostered its growth as a major cultural and educational hub in medieval Armenia. Two monumental gavits (narthexes) were constructed in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The monastery has undergone numerous reconstructions over centuries. In the mid-19th century, it became the summer audience for the Katholikos of Echmiadzin, leading to significant expansion of the monastery grounds, including the addition of administrative buildings, a refectory, a school, and living quarters.

South of the main complex, a cliff face features the Hermitage Chapel. The monastery's cemetery contains the ruins of a 5th-century basilica and ancient tombstones, some of which are now housed in Armenia's State History Museum in Yerevan.